ON - Omidyar Network

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Bridge International Academies operates a franchise-like network of ultra low-cost, for-profit private schools, delivering high-quality education for less than $4 per student per month.

Why We Invested

Bridge International extends access to primary education in Africa, demonstrating the power of for-profit innovation to transform lives. By employing key characteristics of successful franchises, Bridge International provides a complete 'school in a box' that allows local operators to run schools on a low-cost, but profitable basis. Bridge International’s model provides a sustainable approach to education in Africa, where on average, children perform at the 3rd percentile compared to children from developed countries. Bridge International is working to close this gap through its growing network of schools.

With Omidyar Network’s investment, Bridge International will rapidly increase access to high-quality, affordable education to more than 1 million children across Africa. Building upon its success in Kenya, the organization will expand into additional Sub-Saharan African countries to establish 1800 schools by 2015. In addition to providing a new, effective option for education, these schools will also create jobs and provide income for education workers in local communities.